It is well known to cover vehicles with sheets of fabric and the like to protect the vehicles from the elements. It is also generally known to affix a housing to a vehicle to store the cover when it is not being utilized. Representative devices of this type are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,842, issued Aug. 15, 1989 to Ross et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,719,055, issued July 2, 1929 to Herzer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,918,423, issued July 18, 1933 to Persinger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,421, issued Mar. 22, 1988 to Ross et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,513, issued Sept. 7, 1954 to Poirier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,986, issued Feb. 18, 1986 to Sams and U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,782, issued June 23, 1987 to Helber disclose vehicle bumper assemblies forming one or more compartments which may be utilized to store a variety of items including, presumably, a cover for the vehicle with which the storage bumpers are employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,145 issued Oct. 16, 1979 to Pearson, Sr. discloses a retractable protective covering which may be unrolled from a spring loaded spool mounted in a housing attached to a motorcycle to cover the seat and the tank of the motorcycle.